PREDATOR: Blood Lust (Work in Progress)
by Choco Scorpion Bat
Summary: TEMPORARY SUMMARY: Follow the life and adventures of Thel'tana Vel-rei, a Young Blood Yautja warrior, as he progresses through school, missions, and battles. Follow his journey through love, revenge, and near death experiences. STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS. EXPECT MULTIPLE EDITS AND UPDATES.
1. The Gorge I

A/N: My newest Predator fiction! Whoop! Sorry in advance if the chapters sound kind of choppy, it wasn't my fault! Writer's block is really eating at me these days! Anyway, this particular story is told completely from a Yautja POV. I have no idea yet how long it will be, but I plan on telling the story from his years at hunting school through his missions and such. This is just a preemptive post, so expect multiple changes and updates to the various chapters. Once again, this is just a test run, so there will be errors in plot and spelling. Again, I apologize in advance. Do not consider this an official post. Once I have the complete plotline finished and edited, then I will add an official summary and date on my Author Page. So, without further ado, I present to you, the Beta run of PREDATOR: Blood Lust! Enjoy, review, and leave Feedback on what you think should be edited or added!

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PREDATOR

Blood Lust

(BETA RUN ONLY)

CHAPTER I

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The steamy jungle hid the silent hunter as he darted from tree to tree, in search of his prey. He made not a sound as he stalked the unwary quarry. The killer lighted upon a tall branch and studied his surroundings closely. The dense foliage prevented him from being seen, though he need not worry. His camouflage made him practically invisible. The hunter clicked quietly to his comrades, which also landed beside him.

"Look. Do nothing more, brothers."

The creature they were hunting had no idea of their presence. It stood, unaware of its coming plight. Thel'tana Vel-rei, the youngest of the hunting party, watched in excitement as his leader leapt silently from the tree. How he wanted to join him! He itched to take the kill, to wade in the glory of a successful take-down. Thel'tana watched with eagerness as the hidden shape of his mentor stalked over to the large beast. Out of the corner of his vision, the young Yautja sensed movement behind his mentor. He moved his head slightly to get a better view of the shape. It was huge, and it was stalking Yan'tekkai. He nudged Than'kel Kael'la, his closest friend and peer.

"Look, brother! Over there, behind our mentor, Yan'tekkai! Something stalks him with silence!" he hissed.

Than'kel peered in the direction Thel'tana pointed out, and drew in a sharp breath.

"You are right, my friend! But, let's wait, for things may turn around."

Thel'tana did not reply, for he had already bounded to another tree. Than'kel huffed in annoyance and chased after him. The fool! He was only endangering the whole group with his actions! Yan'tekkai took no notice of the events that had corresponded in the trees. Thel'tana lighted upon a branch and gazed at the large creature. The animal's heat signature flared bright red and yellow in his vision. The thing was massive, and Thel'tana had no doubt that it would be a tough fight. He also had no doubt that if he managed to kill the thing, it would bring him great honor in his clan. He practically shook in excitement. Than'kel landed beside him on the same branch and hissed in annoyance.

"Brother, have you lost your pauking mind?! You don't stand a chance against this beast!"

"You are right, brother. But, together…" Thel'tana trailed off. He purred in delight at the thought.

Than'kel sighed. Stupid Young Blood. The beast was closer to Yan'tekkai now, who was about to take the kill. Than'kel tensed. He grabbed Thel'tana's shoulder to keep him from jumping. Thel'tana complied, albeit grudgingly.

"Do nothing, my friend. Only watch. We have yet to see how things will turn out," he said. Thel'tana hissed, but remained on the tree branch.

Yan'tekkai took the kill, ripping the head and spine out of the beast he had been stalking. He roared his superiority to the jungle, causing a flock of birds to take flight. The mentor cleaned his blades, and placed the decapitated head of the creature in his pouch. Finally, Thel'tana could take it no more; he bounded off the branch, unsheathing his wrist-blades.

"Get back here, you fool! You have no chance of survival!" shouted Than'kel. Thel'tana ignored him, and dashed to the creature. He powered up his plasma caster, laser sight aimed at the beast.

"Turn and face me, creature!" he challenged, and deactivated his camouflage.

The creature spun, and faced Thel'tana. It roared, and stood up to its full height. It was then that Yan'tekkai noticed the commotion, and spun.

"Paya help me!" he whispered.

The beast was a full 23 feet tall, with a tail almost as long. It was a fiery orange color, with flesh mottled by black spots. The head was massive, and the jaw was at least 6 feet long. The spines on its back extended a good 5 or 6 feet, and its fangs were almost a foot long, as was its claws. The eyes flared with anger. Yan'tekkai knew this would be a kill to outdo all kills, but that wasn't what ran through his mind as he rushed over to his pupils. He feared for their safety, and he was furious. Than'kel felt his gut tighten in fear and awe when the monster stood up. The beast roared again, and dashed towards Thel'tana. His friend fired a round, but it did no good; it merely enraged the creature even more. He rolled to the left, barely escaping death by a few centimeters. Paya only knew how long his luck would last. Than'kel could no longer sit back and watch his friend make a fool of himself. He deactivated his camouflage and leapt down to aid Thel'tana. Yan'tekkai finally reached the two Young Bloods.

"You fools! Have you no sense! Surely you knew you could not handle a beast of this size! Where has your mind fled to?!" he raged.

"Yan'tekkai! Behind you!" shouted Than'kel.

His mentor just barely missed being impaled by the spined tail of the brute of a monster. He leapt back and brought out his combi-spear. His students did the same.

"Because of your actions we're all going to die if this doesn't go well!" he screamed. The beast roared and lunged at Thel'tana, who crouched and slashed his blades across the beast's hide. The monster screamed in pain and rage.

"Don't worry, Master! I'm sure if we all work together that we can bring down this beast!" he shouted in ecstasy. He fired several rounds from his shoulder cannon, finally scoring a hit. The beast's yellow blood splattered a tree, and it let loose a scream that shook the ground. More birds took flight. The monster fell to all fours and dashed towards the three Yautja.

"You insolent fool! You've just enraged it further!" Than'kel screamed as they ran.

It was at this point that Thel'tana began to think that he had gone in deeper than he should have. If they survived this ordeal, then he would surely be expelled from the school, or worse, imprisoned. Paya, help them all if they lost Yan'tekkai! Suddenly, the ground disappeared. They all screamed as they fell off the edge of a gorge. Thel'tana saw the ground rushing up to meet him, and then he saw no more.

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It was dark when Thel'tana finally awoke. He sat up with a groan, aching all over. His mask's lens had cracked pretty badly, but that was the least of his worries. He scanned the area, trying to make sense of his surroundings in the dense mist. He got to his feet, grateful that his armor protected him.

"Than'kel? Yan'tekkai?" he called out. His voice echoed back, but he got no response. He huffed and began to walk, not sure of his destination. Suddenly, a thought grappled at him. His combi-spear! He frantically checked his backpack, and felt it there. He breathed a sigh of relief, and resumed walking. He called out his friend's and mentor's names, but it was silent in the gorge. Pebbles crunched underfoot as he traveled, and he began to grow uneasy. He stopped, sure he had heard something. He strained to listen, the silence maddening. It came again; a skittering sound, like a small rodent, or pebbles falling down a rockslide.

"Than'kel? Brother, is that you? Answer me! Yan'tekkai?!"

Suddenly, he was on the ground, being strangled. Than'kel had him by the throat, and was straddling his friend's body. He slammed his fist into Thel'tana's mask, sending more cracks across the visor.

"YOU?! YOU'VE KILLED US ALL WITH YOUR INSOLENCE!" he screamed in rage.

"Than'kel! Brother! Why are you doing this?!" Thel'tana shouted, kicking him off. Than'kel roared and charged his friend. They flew back and smashed into the ground, kicking up mud and rock as they wrestled. Thel'tana rolled, and slammed his fist into Than'kel's gut, sending him spiraling back. He charged, knocking his friend off his feet. Than'kel spun and grabbed Thel'tana by the pack on his back, and threw him into the canyon wall.

"You nearly got us all killed! You have no self-control! What would we do if Yan'tekkai had been killed by that beast?! Answer me that!" he shouted, tossing his combi-spear away.

"I thought I could save him! He had no idea what was behind him!"

"You pauking fool! Your insolence has cost us dearly! It is night, and we have no shelter! No way to get back to the ship! We have no idea where Yan'tekkai is, or if he is even alive! We have no way to get back home!" Than'kel said. He charged Thel'tana again, but this time, he was ready. He slammed his hand into Than'kel's fist, and pivoted, flipping Than'kel over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground.

"Stop this! This isn't going to save our hides! We must work together if we are to survive the night and find Yan'tekkai!" he said.

Than'kel got to his feet, and growled deeply. Thel'tana was right, though he hated to admit it.

"Fine! Let us go then, you hopeless fool, and hope we survive to see the day."

Thel'tana nodded grimly, and tossed his friend's combi-spear back to him. They had a long night ahead of them, and it was best not to spend it arguing.

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Okay, that was the test run for Chapter I. Please leave your reviews and Feedback on it! I hope you enjoyed this preliminary post of PREDATOR: Blood Lust, and I would greatly appreciate your comments on it.


	2. The Gorge II

A/N: Much thanks to whoever read Chapter I and reviewed! Expect this edition of the Beta run to be longer, and PLEASE point out any errors, contradictions, etc., and I would also love to hear about your favorite portions of the chapter! Please enjoy, and review, leave Feedback, and post your ideas for future story Arcs!

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PREDATOR

Blood Lust

(BETA RUN ONLY)

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CHAPTER II

Thel'tana could not decide which was worst about his current predicament: the fact that he had caused it, or the fact that he and Than'kel were hopelessly lost. He settled for the lesser of two evils. The soft ground underfoot squelched as the two Young Bloods continued their trek deeper into the gorge. The sun had long since disappeared, casting everything into darkness and shadow. Thel'tana's stomach rumbled with hunger. He tried his best to ignore it. He and Than'kel had searched for hours for any hint of life to hunt, but had failed miserably. The gorge was completely devoid of any life, save for him and his friend, who was still giving him the cold shoulder. Thel'tana felt despair weigh heavily on his heart, and he fought the urge to cry out to Paya. He suddenly ran into Than'kel, who, for some reason, had stopped without warning.

"Brother," he said.

"What do you see, Than'kel?" he inquired, peering into the incredibly dense mist. His sensors could not grab hold of anything, as the density of the fog caused them to go haywire.

"Silence, you fool!" hissed Than'kel.

He dropped to one knee, and scooped a handful of the soil into his fist, and brought out a kit. He sprinkled the dirt into the box, and pressed a series of buttons. In an instant, he had a read-out in his grip. Thel'tana heard a sharp intake of breath as Than'kel read the transcript.

"Brother…"

"Hurry, we must flee this area!" Than'kel hissed, and dashed up a boulder. Still not sure why, Thel'tana followed suit, quickly catching up to Than'kel, who was crouched behind a large rock.

"What did you read?" whispered Thel'tana, joining Than'kel in hiding.

"The beast is here… or, at least it was," replied his friend. Thel'tana felt a sharp tingle run down his spinal cord at his words.

"Paya help us…" he breathed.

"Shut your pauking mouth before you get us killed, you incompetent fool!" hissed Than'kel.

It was too late.

Thel'tana heard a deep growl, and his heart nearly stopped. He and Than'kel slowly looked up, and saw the head of the monstrous beast looking down at them. Saliva, mixed with blood, dripped from its mouth, in long gooey strands. It hissed, staring at them in hate.

"Thel'tana."

"What, brother?"

"Do you remember that insane routine we used to do in our childhood?"

"Like my own birthday."

"Get ready."

"I already am."

Instantly, Than'kel leaped into the air, pivoting, and then spiraling down with incredible speed. Thel'tana followed suit, grabbing Than'kel's hands and spinning him around, releasing him to send his friend flying through the air, while he fired his plasma cannon at the ground as he fell. The force produced by the blast sent Thel'tana rocketing into the air after his friend, to light upon a craggy outcropping of rocks on the other side of the beast. Thel'tana slapped his friend on the shoulder in delight.

"Excellent form, my friend!" he said.

Than'kel nodded.

"But we are not out of trouble yet. Look! It has discovered our location!"

It was true: the monster pivoted, and bellowed at them across the gorge. Than'kel took the initiative, firing several rounds from his shoulder cannon, before leaping onto a boulder higher up the rock wall. Thel'tana dashed up the wall with ease. Suddenly, the rock he was gripping split, and he lost his grip. He scrabbled for a hold, failing. His heart rate sped up. The fall was a long one. He dared not look down.

"Brother! Help me!" he pleaded.

Than'kel dashed along the ledge, heart racing. The beast was almost upon Thel'tana. It bellowed again, causing the ground shake. He wasn't going to make it!

_No! I refuse to let him die! _

With a mighty roar, Than'kel pushed off the ledge with his feet, launching himself at the beast. He unsheathed his combi-spear, and landed on its head, sinking the weapon in deep.

"DIE YOU UGLY ABOMINATION!" he screamed, and shoved his fist into the beast's eye, ripping the organ out of its socket. He wrenched the cannon off of his shoulder, and shoved it into the screaming monster's socket, and fired. The head exploded, launching Than'kel onto the rock wall, and sending pieces of flesh everywhere, painting the landscape yellow with gore. The body staggered, and then fell, crashing into the gorge wall, and sliding down. Than'kel dropped, along with Thel'tana, onto the gushing corpse of the beast. Than'kel got to his feet, hissing in disgust.

"This is going to take weeks to clean! Pauk!"

Thel'tana shook his head.

"At least you live, you crazy fool!" He looked at the headless creature. "But I cannot say the same for him!"

The two hunt brothers laughed, and embraced.

"It is unfortunate, though. His head would have made a grand trophy if it had not been blown to Cetanu," said Than'kel balefully.

Thel'tana gazed towards the sky, thoughtful. It was clear, and the stars were indeed dazzling.

"We should make camp. There is no guarantee that we shall find Yan'tekkai tonight."

Than'kel nodded.

"I agree. Let us find an outcropping and take shelter there. I am suddenly weary from the day's events, and I do not feel I can continue much longer in this state. But it shall have to be near a source of water."

Thel'tana nodded, and the two Young Bloods began their search.

It took them almost two hours, but they finally found an outcropping roomy enough for both of them to take shelter in. It was also located not too far from a small river, which pleased Than'kel greatly. Not so fortunately, though, they still had no luck finding any food to eat. Thel'tana had suggested the meat of the monster Than'kel had killed, but after Than'kel had analyzed the DNA of the creature, he found it to laced with toxic poisons. He had also made another interesting discovery.

"It would seem to me that this beast was not yet finished maturing! It was a mere juvenile! Paya knows how big the adults are!"

Thel'tana paled slightly under his mask at his friend's words.

And so passed the first night in the gorge, without a single sighting of their hunt master's presence.

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_Yan'tekkai darted from tree to tree, closely followed by his six students. They were on a regular training hunt, but that was no guarantee that all of them would return alive. Thel'tana and Than'kel took up the rear. Just three solar cycles ago, they had left the Yautja home world and arrived here on the planet H'yundai-thra. Excitement coursed through Thel'tana's veins as he thought of the coming hunt. _

"_Brother! What say you to a friendly challenge?" he said, leaping from a branch, and landing with ease on another._

"_Ha!" exclaimed Than'kel. "We both know who would win! And it isn't you!" _

"_We shall see, friend! We shall see!" Thel'tana replied._

_Up ahead, Yan'tekkai suddenly stopped, and crouched on a branch, one hand holding onto the tree trunk for support._

"_Silence! All of you!" he hissed. He returned his gaze to the ground below, and watched in silence._

_A creature was directly below Yan'tekkai. It was rather large, and covered in what looked to be bristles. It was black, and had a very squat face, with fangs that reached below the jaw. The claws were just as bad. It had no tail._

"_What in Paya's name is that?" whispered Thel'tana. Yan'tekkai shook his head._

"_I have no idea, but do not approach it. You are not yet experienced enough to handle that thing."_

"_Experience my hide! I'll kill that beast in a minute!" declared a member of the party in the rear. He leaped from the tree, deactivating his camouflage._

"_Get back here, you pauking fool!" shouted Yan'tekkai, but he was too late. The arrogant Young Blood unsheathed his blades, and issued a challenge to the creature. _

_The fool's haste was his undoing, as the creature shot off its bristles, and struck the Young Blood in the chest. The fool was dead in an instant, poison eating his organs alive. Thel'tana watched in horror as the Young Blood exploded, sending his pieces in every direction. Yan'tekkai bounded to another branch._

_So was the fate of the arrogant._

_The rest of the hunting party did not fare so well, either. Each seemed more arrogant than the other, and as Thel'tana watched, each was felled by their haste and eagerness to kill. Yan'tekkai left them to their fate, the fools. Thel'tana felt numb, leaping from tree to tree, always a step behind Yan'tekkai and Than'kel. He was determined not to fall in the shortcomings of his peers._

_Such was the way of things. The thing was…_

_Honor is subjective. So is common sense._

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Thel'tana sat up, his head spinning from the dream-memory. He removed his mask, and placed his head in his hands. Than'kel rolled over, asleep. Thunder rumbled overhead as rain began to pour. He chittered quietly, lost in thought.

Paya, what had he gotten himself into?

He longed for an answer, but did not get one. Lightning flashed, casting Thel'tana into stark contrast. He gazed at the sleeping form of his closest friend, and regret shot through him for putting him through this hell. He mind wandered to his teacher, Yan'tekkai, and he wondered if he was still alive. He growled deeply, causing Than'kel to stir, but not awaken. Thunder rumbled again, and Thel'tana went back to sleep. He dreamed nothing for the rest of the night.

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There you have it: Chapter II of PREDATOR: Blood Lust! I really hope you enjoyed it! I put much work into writing this installment of the Beta run. I plan on the search for Yan'tekkai to be an arc in the story. You are two chapters in the Gorge Arc. There will be: The Gorge Arc, The Redemption Arc, The Hunter's Arc, The Revenge Arc, and The Rise to Power Arc. Please leave reviews, Feedback, and ideas for future chapters! Thanks!

JokerKid988: Thanks for your support! Whoever read this should check out Joker's New Interest! It's really gripping!

mau'indi: Much thanks is extended to mau'indi for the ideas presented in this chapter! I couldn't have done it without your help! Thanks a lot! Whoever read this should read Forbidden Alliance!


	3. The Cave I

A/N: Here it is guys... the third chapter. I apologize with all my heart for making you wait so long before this got uploaded. Life happened... and I got lazy. Anyway, I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. When I wrote it, it sounded like a filler... ._.

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Chapter III

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It was early morning when Than'kel and Thel'tana awoke. The planet's large sun had barely broken the horizon when the two Young Bloods began their search anew. They followed the river north, being sure to remain close to it. The Young Bloods did not speak for several hours. Thel'tana could feel the contempt oozing from his friend. The spines on his shoulders bristled in shame.

Than'kel held up a hand and stooped down, examining something in the soft dirt. Thel'tana joined him. They were footprints.

"These are Yan'tekkai's," Than'kel muttered. "I'm sure of it."

Thel'tana's heart leaped inside his chest. They were on the right track. He joined his hunt brother in the dirt.

"We must hurry if we are to catch up to him!" he said.

"It is far too late. Look," his friend said as he tapped the print. The dirt made a muted tapping sound as Than'kel's claw struck it.

"What does this mean, brother?" inquired Thel'tana. Than'kel growled in annoyance, but turned to face his estranged friend.

"He has at least a day's head start on us. It would take at least as long, maybe longer, to adequately locate him. We need to find him now. Paya knows what foul abominations inhabit this accursed canyon."

Than'kel was right. They needed to find their hunt master, and soon.

"Then we must get a move on," Thel'tana stated simply, and continued walking. Than'kel followed suit.

The two remained quiet again, not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention. The sun was midway up the sky when Than'kel broke the monotonous silence.

"If we survive this ordeal, I will personally strangle you when we get off this rock. Or find a suitable mate and settle down, maybe father some suckers."

Thel'tana relaxed a little. Than'kel turned his head to look at his friend.

"What about you? Do you plan on chasing Mei-jadhi? Or are you just going to watch as every other male Yautja takes her?"

Thel'tana bristled in anger and embarrassment. He growled a warning, but Than'kel only laughed. It was deep and strong, like him.

"Watch yourself, brother. And for the fact, I do plan on taking her as my own."

Than'kel growled in approval.

"Fine choice, brother. Mei-jadhi is strong for her size, and beautiful. She will make a fine mate for you. Maybe she can put some sense into your head."

Than'kel chortled again at Thel'tana. After a time, the hunt brothers encountered a large rock wall, slippery with the morning dew.

"We cannot climb this wall. We would only fall," stated Than'kel. He walked to left, and tapped on the rock. Thel'tana was going to ask what he was doing when his friend smashed his right fist through the sandstone, creating a large hole. Thel'tana ran over and helped Than'kel clear away some of the rubble.

"You never cease to amaze, brother," chortled Thel'tana.

"Well, when you pay attention in the tracking class, you learn some things!" replied Than'kel. Thel'tana stiffened in embarrassment, and prepared to make a smart remark when Than'kel stepped into the hollow.

"It would appear we have unearthed a cavern. Someone or something was here before us," he observed, pointing out the numerous skeletons that littered the floor.

"Let us search the cavern, and hope we find Yan'tekkai. We will meet up at the northernmost point," said Thel'tana.

Than'kel agreed, and the two wandered deeper into the cave, the morning light gradually becoming fainter, until it was completely dark. Thel'tana switched on his night vision, and Than'kel followed his lead. They continued on, the many bones crunching beneath their feet. Something deep within gave a foul stench, causing Thel'tana to growl in displeasure. Than'kel chortled in amusement.

Eventually, they reached a fork in the cave.

"I will go left," said Thel'tana. Than'kel nodded, and broke right. Thel'tana made his way down the left passage, hearing the hundreds of bones snap under his feet. He stepped on a skull, and the bones popped and crunched loudly, sending jolts of shock tingling up his spine. Finally, the seemingly unending ocean of bones came to an end, giving Thel'tana some peace at last. The quiet gave him time to think, and think he did.

Paya, he was going to pay for this dearly. Maybe with his life if Yan'tekkai died. If they all survived he would probably be exiled from his clan. What would Mei-jadhi think of him then? Thel'tana rumbled in shame. Soon, the path ended at a ledge. Thel'tana stepped out onto it, and gazed in amazement at the opening to a massive cavern. The cave was at least the size of the ship that brought them to this accursed planet, and then many, many times bigger. Thel'tana looked over the edge, and saw tar black water far below.

There was no way across, so he jumped.

Paya, the water was freezing! The temperature of the water sent waves of tingles up Thel'tana's spinal cord. The young Yautja floated upright in the lake for several minutes until his body grew adjusted to the freezing liquid. He searched the high walls for some way to climb to an exit, but found none. With dread, he realized that the exit, if one existed, must be deep beneath the surface. Thel'tana steeled himself for the dive of his life, and dove beneath the water.

Below, everything was black as night. Not even his night vision provided a great way of seeing, but it would have to do; better than swimming blind. When he was about 20 feet below, Thel'tana paused and righted himself in the murky depths, scanning for another cave passage. He found none; just a slough of decaying matter. At that moment, he realized that the lake was littered with decaying material. The material floated in great quantities around Thel'tana, rotting away in the freezing water. He saw small bones, flesh, organs, and carcasses that were half-eaten.

Thel'tana looked below him, but the cave floor was not visible. The lake was hundreds of feet deeper, he realized. The great black maw gaped at him, seeming to reach up and threaten to swallow him whole. This spurred Thel'tana on, as he had no wish to remain in the poisoned water longer than needed. Thel'tana pivoted, to swim north, and nearly swam into a severed head. Closer inspection revealed it to be a Yautja head, half-rotted and shriveled. It was missing a mandible and its left eye. Disgust and grief filled Thel'tana at the horrendous sight, and he quickly swam away.

He finally found a new cave entrance, and eagerly swam to it, more than happy to break the surface once inside. Thel'tana climbed onto the side floor and shook his dreadlocks dry. Now, the long journey out began...

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A/N: That was Chapter III! I hope it was worth the long wait, and please leave Feedback!


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